Echosim.io: Alexa on the web

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) introduced Echosim.io on May 27, 2016, and it gives users a very cool and futuristic experience. People from all over the world can already visit the website and start interacting with Alexa. You only need an internet connection, a working mic, and an Amazon account.

On November 6, 2014, The company led by Jeff Bezos surprised everyone with the release of the Amazon Echo, a wireless cylindrical device that reacts to voice commands. The digital assistant, named Alexa, is connected to the internet which allows it to answer any question or even manage personal apps that work on the cloud, such as Uber app, FindMyPhone, and much more. The promotional video made it seem as having a home version of J.A.R.V.I.S, and the reception was great. Many users said that for only $180 it was well worth it.

Amazon revealed Echosim.io so people can interact with Alexa on the web. Credit: Amazon

However, many users were worried about the device’s capabilities. According to the company, Amazon Echo only starts listening when people say the “trigger,”, the default one is “Alexa”, but some people did not buy it. Technically, the device can listen to whatever people say in the room, and according to the critics, the company could use this to record private conversations, even when Amazon openly said that Alexa only reacts to the user, and it only records when asked.

There is another practical problem, you need the hardware in your house and connected to a socket. These and other couple minor things may reflect in sales number which was not what the company expected. According to specialists, Bezos and his team wanted to compete in markets other than tablets.

The solution

A very practical project was born at a Hackathon, and it was named Alexa In The Browser. The idea is simple, letting developers take Amazon Echo bot’s capabilities to the browser in the form of an on-line emulator. The final product is Echosim.io and it has been available for both users and developers since Friday. Designers used 3D JavaScript animations and the Alexa Voice Service integration to take Echo to the digital world. You need an Amazon or Developer’s account to enter the site and a working mic. Once there, you just have to click and hold a button to start interacting with the “female” AI.

You can ask Alexa any question, and since it uses the internet as a data memory bank, it will answer with an acceptable level of logic. If you ask something like “what is the best tablet on the market?”, Echosim.io will use users’ rates and recommendations to tell you which is the most suggested.

Bezos and his team took the lead since Apple is rumored to be releasing something similar this year. However, it is too soon to tell how if the emulator has the same capability than the physical device.